Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point opened its gates to a substantial crowd of more than 120,000 attendees for 2024 MCAS Cherry Point Air Show weekend, seeing the largest number of guests during its Saturday show.

This event showcased the exceptional prowess of the nation’s military aircraft and the incredible capabilities of modern aviation. About 80,000 attended Saturday, while Sunday saw a smaller attendance of around 40,000 guests on Mother’s Day.

Reports confirmed there was overwhelming interest and support from the community, but traffic delays prevented many from reaching the venue Saturday. In response to community feedback, air show officials adjusted operations to reduce travel delays for Sunday’s show.

In addition to delivering an action-packed air show, Fleet Readiness Center East hosted a STEM Day exposition for Craven County school students on Friday, May 10. The event was held in two sessions and saw more than 1,100 students who engaged in hands-on exhibitions that advanced robotics, aquatic sciences, and an in-depth look into the world of aviation from Coast Guard and Marine Corps pilots.

During May 9-12, MCAS Cherry Point Air Show personnel also hosted 22 individuals for the International Council of Air Shows Academy. Academy members from across the nation attended to show their support and witness firsthand, the behind-the-scenes immense planning efforts and operations, and coordination activity between Cherry Point, state and local officials, and fellow services, including the Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force.

While we celebrate this well-attended, highly favored event, we acknowledge the frustration experienced by many of our community supporters who were unable to attend due to traffic issues. We are putting planning emphasis on this issue now, ahead of the upcoming 2026 show to ensure we have large-event traffic experts assisting to ensure timely traffic flow and parking to support the growing community interest in future events.

Though the installation has returned to regular operations, some may need to make follow-up inquiries related to having been a guest of the air show. Guests who may have lost personal items during the event should contact the Lost and Found Custodian at 252-466-7014 to inquire about recovered belongings. Individuals with air show-specific questions can inquire with CPO.marketing@usmc-mccs.org and cherrypoint@usmc.mil for further assistance.